Over 500 families have been displaced due to the ongoing hostilities at the Kitui-Tana River border.
When a local primary school was demolished, it sparked counter-accusations from both sides, finally erupting into a full-fledged battle that killed 12 lives and left hundreds homeless.
It's a race against the clock to build a semi-permanent shelter in the middle of nowhere to protect the relocated families from the elements as night falls. Following an outbreak of interclan warfare that resulted in the loss of several lives, the destruction of property, and the displacement of 500 families, the displaced families will spend the third night in the cold.
Kitui County Administration razed the Kalalani Primary School built with Galole Constituency Development funding, igniting a confrontation between the two sides. The relocated families accuse the local government of ignoring their situation.
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One of the displaced persons, Ismail Alkano, told Citizen TV, "Watoto iko nyumabi, wengine wameolewa, wengine wamekua jambazi." Ile mpaka yetu ni nyali na. inajulikana na kila mtu."
“Hapo tena bado hawajatuacha, wakafukuza watu wetu, Watoto wetu wakafukuzwa wakaenda kuishi juu ya mtikama Wanyama. Waliachwa hapa kama Wanyama, hawana makwao, hawana shule hawana pahali pa kuishi. Wanasema ni game reserve,” added Hussein Ibra another displaced person.
Residents who accused the Kitui County administration of demolishing the primary school to build a police station stormed the construction site and evicted the employees.
Tana River County Commissioner Mohammed Noor and his Kitui counterpart Erastus Mbui have requested that the station be built, which will increase security in the area once completed.
“Sisi hatuamui mipaka, hio sio jukumu yetu. Sisi tumekuja tu kuona hii mradi imefanikiwa iweze kusaidia wananchi wa hapa,” Noor said.
"Na hatimaye baada ya kujenga hizo vituo, zitapeanwa kwa idara ya polisis," Mbui added. Kitui ni sawa itaendelea kua huko, kama itakua tana river ni sawa na serikali ya kitui inaelewa hivyo. "Fulani hatujengei kaunti."
Noor urged calm, emphasizing that the station's construction had nothing to do with establishing a boundary between the two counties and that only the IEBC has the constitutional authority.
